Sword-billed Hummingbird

The Sword-billed Hummingbird (Ensifera ensifera) is a species of hummingbird found in South America. It occurs in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela. It is noted as the only species of bird to have a bill longer than the rest of its body. This adaptation is to feed on flowers with long corollas such as Passiflora mixta. The tongue is therefore also unusually long. It also uses its feet for grooming as its bill is too long for the job. These birds are 6 inches long (not including the beak) and can weigh 0.4 ounces, making it one of the world’s largest hummingbirds.